Crown Knot Bracelet Class at BABE

In this class, offered at BABE, Bay Area Extravaganza, on Friday, November 2, we will be making a bracelet. In the morning we will learn to tie crown knots with a kumihimo disk. Tying this knot free hand fashion is difficult to master with multiple cords. The use of the disk makes it easier to learn.

The crown knot is a bit bulkier than pearls knotting and is easier to keep snug against the beads. It especially well suited for stringing beads with uneven holes, or when beads need to be kept apart as multiple crown knots can be made between beads. Multiple crown knot form a sennit with a similar appearance as the 8 strand braid in kumihimo, but it is made with only half as many cords for a braid/cord of similar diameter.

This knot is used extensively in Tibetan, Chinese and Japanese knotting. The four fold aspect of this knot is in perfect harmony with Buddhist principles. It is completely completely symmetrical. It is often used in malas. In addition, tying crown knots can become a form of prayer, a meditation.

In the afternoon we will make the bracelet ending, integrating the loop in a seamless fashion with no cord ends remaining. This type of ending can be applied to other techniques such as micro macrame and kumihimo.

Joining Hands after a Crown Knotting Class

The class manual has a lot of info that goes beyond the class project and can be a guide for further projects you may want to do after the class.

Come and join us at BABE, a few spaces are still remaining and online class registration ends this Saturday, October 27!

Sign up for Classes at http://www.beadextravaganza.com/register.htm

This is my 4th time teaching this class at BABE. I will have two teachers assistants this year, so we will have a fabulous class with lots of individual attention. The BABE show takes place on Saturday and Sunday. I will be there with supplies and kits. There will be demos - I will do 2 demos, one on Saturday on the new Bead Cluster Kumihimo Kit and one on Sunday on the Shambhala Bracelet, an adaptation on a classic Chinese design - see earlier blog. BABE has great classes and a great show with lots of fabulous vendors!

Update November, 2016

This class is now available as a kit. I spent time creating a new manual that cover everything that was taught in the class plus more with lots of pictures, and illustrations. The manual has over 40 pictures and diagrams. –> Crown Knotting & Fiber Endings Bracelet Kit

Turkish Flat Bead Crochet with C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord

A while ago, I was asked if C-Lon cord would work for Turkish Flat Bead Crochet. I had never heard of Turkish crochet, so I kept it in mind for future research. At the last Pacific International Quilt Festival - PIQF in Santa Clara a few weeks ago, I run into Eilene Cross, a teacher of this craft. She was wearing a neckpiece done with this technique with yarn and decided to try the same design with C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord, the heaviest C-Lon Bead Cord. She got a spool and returned to the show to show me her work in progress.

In this close up picture you can see the pattern created by the Turkish Flat Bead Crochet made with Green C-Lon Bead Cord. The background is made of spools of the standard C-Lon Bead Cord...

Eilene came back the next day with her neckpiece completed. She is a lovely person and I decided to take her class. She has a class this Saturday, October 27 at the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textile from 10:30 to 5:30.

Unfortunately I found out yesterday that I have a schedule conflict and will not be able to attend the class. So yesterday evening, slightly upset, I ended up researching Turkish crochet patterns on my own. Here are the first few bracelets I have done with this technique since.

C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord, Miyuki Seed Beads Size 5 and 6, a Kollage Square Crochet Hook Size B, some Vintage Italian buttons and voilà...

- > Bracelet Tutorial

- > Classes at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textile

- > C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord - C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord is available in 56 colors now. 16 new colors are arriving soon, bringing the color choices up to 72!

- > Kollage Square Crochet Hooks

To follow up - I would like to experiment with thinner sizes of C-Lon Bead Cord and gemstone beads... mix it up with other techniques, play around further... see what else I end up with. Also do more research on Oya - Turkish needle lace and crochet... In the meantime these bracelets are fun... and will make nice gifts.

As to the type of crochet being used on these bracelets, it is all standard stitches, slip, chain and single crochet stitches. It is known as Turkish Flat Bead Crochet because it is a traditional pattern used in Anatolia. This region in Turkey is renown for its Oya - needle lace and crochet with beads trims done around scarves.